How to Contribute to Stock Photography Websites

Photography is persuasive, eye-catching, valuable, and visually stimulating. Unfortunately, it’s also quite expensive. When someone needs to complete a creative project quickly and inexpensively, they often turn to stock photography so that they can forgo the time and money required to hire a professional photographer. That’s where you come in. Photographers can contribute their photos to stock photo websites, giving consumers the raw material they need to effectively complete that creative project. If you’re wondering how to contribute to stock photography websites, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’ll discuss how to get started and how to improve your business, focusing on how we here at Lightstock work with our contributors and their images. Ready to learn how to contribute to stock photography websites? Scroll down to get started.

How to Contribute to Stock Photography Sites

1. Find a reputable website. If you want to know how to contribute to stock photography websites, you’ll first need to find a great website. The website should be easy to use and upfront with their policies, and the staff behind the website should be kind, professional, and easy to contact. They should also have a good reputation amongst contributors and photographers, and their style and values should match your own.

2. Read the website’s policies and guidelines. Before you start contributing photos, you need to understand the website’s guidelines. These might include size and resolution requirements, the formats they accept, and stylistic restrictions (for example, no borders or signatures). Then, read through the licensing agreement and become familiar with the site’s terms, process, and how/when you will be paid royalties. The policies and licensing agreements might be long and full of legalese, but you must read through it all (and understand it all) if you want to protect yourself and your work.If you’re interested, please check out Lightstock’s Partner License Agreement.

3. Study the website’s photo collection and brainstorm ideas. Once you’ve found a great website and you’re comfortable with its policies and guidelines, it’s time to start taking pictures! First, check out the website’s current photo collection. What’s trending? Which subjects are lacking? What new, fresh, and desirable content could you produce? Research and make notes, so that you have a firm direction. Then, start tailoring your new photography to fill in the website’s gaps and appeal to the customers’ demands.

4. Send in your work! Referencing the website’s policies and guidelines, send in your photos. If your photos are not approved, find out why and use what you learn when you produce your next batch of photos. As time goes by, you’ll be able to brainstorm new ideas based on how customers respond to the photos you’ve contributed so far. Good luck!

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If you’re wondering how to contribute to stock photography websites like Lightstock, please check out our website for more detailed information, especially the Contributor FAQ page. Here are some basic facts to help you learn more about our company and our process:

Every Lightstock contributor is invited to become a partner based upon their work. To request an invite, click here.

Each photo is personally curated. Nothing gets onto Lightstock without a set of eyes looking at it.

We are looking for content that is geared toward the faith-based community.

We have a 50/50 royalty structure.

Photos should be a minimum of 8.0 megapixels.

You can view statistics for your photos once you become a partner and begin contributing.

If you have any questions, please check out the Contributor FAQ page mentioned above. If you don’t find your answer there, feel free to e-mail us at partners@lightstock.com. We look forward to hearing from you!